Holy guac a mole-y

Here is something I've never seen. A mole in the middle of the fairway only. It appears that the rodent traveled up the drainage pipe and then decided to burrow on his own. It is an adventure.
Today is the BigPar 3, a contest held throughout the Chicago region to raise money for turfgrass research. Last year Kam Klawitter won the girls junior division. Calumet Country Club won the facility division, and I would like to see Briar win this year. Come on out, even if it's just for one shot!
Fore,
Turf

Hole in one

Congratulations to Jack Finwall on an awesome golf achievement! A hole in one! As you can see from the photo, I also have a hole in one. Unfortunately my hole in one does not mean that I do the "I just collected some dough" dance.
My hole in one was under the bridge on two blue. I used oxidation of iron to produce my impressive accomplishment. We have the fittings an found some of the pipe (fire suppression pipe) laying behind the shop. I must be living right!
Hopefully it will go as smoothly as planned and it will all be a memory this afternoon.
Good job Jack,
Turf

Cottonwood trimming

The high winds yesterday (Tuesday), did some tree trimming. Although we did not need the rain, we used the forecast to our advantage by making some applications to the turf. Well, the rains didn't come, so the applications that need water to move them into the soil are now sitting on the surface, along with debris from the trees.
Here is the interesting part, we need to blow off the debris, and not the applications. When you see sprinklers running on the course today, I have not gone crazy...yet. We are just trying to get our application of fertilizer into the soil. Once we feel that we can safely blow fairways without moving the fertilizer, we will get the cottonwood debris cleaned.
I think I will start a club, the he-man cottonwood haters club.
What do you think?
Turf

Weekend damage assessment

Our Monday plans were not in line with mother natures. We received just enough rain to change the plans that I had for the course. The winds are picking up and will hopefully dry things out going into Tuesday. The forecast looks like a chance of storms for the next few days.
This photo shows the practice range over the weekend. I like this photo, it shows why our range is tired going into august. In one weekend we have impacted almost one sixth of the green. This also shows that more damage is done to the range in softer conditions. It is much easier to excavate in soft soil. Sometimes we will hit from the mat to allow the range to firm up a bit, this will also help us keep some turf on it.
Make sure to pack your umbrella, Ella, Ella,
Turf

Species showcase; teenageous joyrideious

It's that time of year.
The cover of darkness brings opportunity to participate in behavior hidden from the light of the world. We are not talking night putting. Please watch for any carts on the course in the evening, that appear to be out for unsupervised joyrides. If you do witness anything being destroyed, do not call the gates, please contact the dyer police.
Happy Fathers Day!
Turf

Divot mix

Good Saturday,
We are drying out very slowly. We will lift cart restrictions, however, much care should be taken to avoid damage. Please be careful when turning and braking. Also, some low areas in the rough are very soft.
We still see that much of our seed and sand mix is wasted by overtopping. The grass in the fairway is cut at half an inch. If the sand is not one half inch below the canopy of the fairway turf, it will not survive. Filling the sand to the top will not give the new seedlings any protection from the mowers, and the will be chopped right off.
See you on the tee,
Turf

U.S. Open Friday

The sun is shining and the course is green. Rough is still wet, so carts will be restricted to path, we will allow 90 degrees out to your ball, and back to the path. We refer to this as a strict 90. We are not celebrating the U.S. Open by not cutting the rough, that is merely coincidence with the weather.
Insects will carry you away, so keep the ball out of the trees. I would recommend that your foursome adopt a malaria rule, if your ball goes into the trees, drop in the sun at the the point the ball entered the trees and take a one stroke penalty.

Insect repellent kills,
Turf

Pretty cleaver eh?

Rain can't stop Dario

More rain today!

Dario is trimming around sprinkler heads, not much stops this 10 year+ employee of BRCC. He does a great job and is a great man.

We are on the path today.

Rain is forecasted over 50 percent for much of the afternoon.

Check out the Facebook page for updates after 7 am.

Cheers,

Turf

Tee it forward

This weekend the PGA of America and the USGA will present the "tee it forward" campaign.  This new initiative is meant to introduce golfers to the recommended set of tee markers based not on age, or gender, but on driving distance.  This idea has always made a great deal of sense to me.  I struggle with the notion that anyone would play a set of tee markers that make birdies impossible, except for a "chip in".  Take a look at the graphic, according to this chart, you must hit it 275 to ride the Briar Ridge Blue Tee ride.

Rainbow in the dark

I see some strange things in the early morning hours. Today was a first, a rainbow at sunrise. Looks like it is going to be touch and go for a few days weather wise. We were just getting caught up with the rough!
We were pretty dry before the rain, so hopefully this am rain will get out and the ladies can get in their district matches.
Cross your fingers,
Turf

Great day

Fertilizing greens and fairways, spraying tees, repairing bunkers, and sunshine. I love days that feel like we are accomplishing a lot, and this is one of those days. The cdga amateur qualifier is tomorrow, and I hope the course will be in great shape. I will post more photos on the briar ridge turfgrass Facebook page. Check them out.
Loving the 70's,
Turf

Photo test

Cart full of goodies

A cart full of goodies like this can only mean one thing........
We are off the path!
There is still a lot of soft ground, so please use the cart path as much as possible.  Low areas should be avoided.
The wet and cart path conditions always leave many divots unfilled (players not taking bottles to the fairways with them).  So please fill an extra divot today when you are out.
Hit em straight,
Turf

Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

A cart full of goodies like this can only mean one thing........
We are off the path!
There is still a lot of soft ground, so please use the cart path as much as possible.  Low areas should be avoided.
The wet and cart path conditions always leave many divots unfilled (players not taking bottles to the fairways with them).  So please fill an extra divot today when you are out.
Hit em straight,
Turf

Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

Fwd: Oh big river

Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Erwin Mckone <emckone@sbcglobal.net>
Date: June 10, 2011 6:46:10 AM CDT
To: Blogger <emckone.turfdoctor@blogger.com>
Subject: Oh big river

Rains have caused Hart ditch to swell and come over it's banks.  This photo is from the end of two blue fairway.
We need the river to go down so that the water on the course does the same.  Right now, you cannot navigate the path on 8 blue fairway, the water is up over the path.

The greens are saturated, and we are not able to get on them just yet.  I am hoping that the rain to the west stays away and they will drain.  If the rain does miss us, and they do drain, we will open.  I am optimistic that by 10 am, we will be preparing the course.  I will keep the BRCC Turfgrass Facebook page updated with that progress.  We will be on the cart path when we do open, and realistically we be that way all weekend.   We are out moving as much water as we can, and we really need the rain to stop.

Check out the Briar Ridge turfgrass Facebook page for more photos.

Don't forget your personal floatation device,
Turf

Sent from Erwin's phone, please excuse grammar and punctuation.

Oh big river

Sunrise at the ridge

It is so nice to see the sun.

We almost have the bunkers back in shape from the rain, there are still a few with erosion sediment in them.
Briar is hosting south district on Thursday. The red and blue will be closed most of the day. Please contact the pro to see how this will impact regular Thursday activity.
The bugs are out, and insect repellant kills grass, please apply in the cart, or on cart paths.
Yuck, the one on my neck was a spider,
Turf

Christmas in june at the briar

Greensmowers are set with thousandths of an inch precision. Hours are spent during the season grinding reels to maintain razor sharp blades that cut the grass like mechanical scissors. Green speeds are influenced by a variety of conditions, but none more frustrating than the explosion of the terrible weed we call the cottonwood. One pass by the greensmower and the rollers on this machine are full, mowing heights that were once .105 of an inch are now much higher because the diameter of the roller is increased from the adhesion of weed seeds.
I don't like you Mr. Cottonwood, please fall down in the next storm.
Achooo,
Turf

9 red pond overflow

The weather has held out for us!

Course is drying out, we are sealcoating the cart path from the proshop to the half-way house. Please avoid this area for the next day.

The photo is of the pond overflow at 9 red. This original overflow was a metal culvert pipe, and has finally rusted through. We will replace this with a modern, plastic version. Until this project is finished, the pond will be a little low.
Fun times,
Turf